- Joined
- Feb 28, 2003
- Messages
- 51,226
- Reaction score
- 8,210
- Location
- Huntsville
- First Name
- Scott
- Last Name
- Friday
The phone rings about 8:30am Brady O'Keefe is in town already. He's thinking we were gonna leave at 9:00am. I'm thinking, "do I have the strength to get out of bed?" Brady heads off to get breakfast and I drag my lazy butt out of bed and head for the shower.
When I poke my head out the front door, Bill and Bill are parked out front. This would be Bill the dad and Bill the son, Goldwing GL1800 and an R1. While we are chatting, Paul shows up on his repainted VFR 750, a nice metallic grey. Then Paul #2 shows up on his Triumph RS, then Brady on his VFR 800 and lastly Jeff on his FZ1. We do a group shot of the bikes and head out, 10:30am.
The weather is absolutely perfect. The roads heading out of town are nice and relaxed, great for getting everyone warmed up and letting us get a feel for how this group rides. Everyone spreads out and does the staggered formation nicely. Temps are in the low to mid seventies and the sun is shining. If there is a cross wind, I don't feel it.
About twenty-five miles out of town, we hit the first really fun road. Waterwood Parkway runs between FM 980 and US 190 for seven miles. It is just one big high speed sweeper after another. The only thing to worry about on this road is deer, so I keep the eyes scanning the shoulders. At this point I try to get a feel for the speed that the group likes to ride in the curvy stuff. Everyone seems comfortable with 75-85 indicated. Fast enough to enjoy the road, slow enough to have time to react to any surprises.
The last two days have seen the Pine pollen begin to take over the countryside. There is so much in the air that everything is covered in the yellow dust. I can see it blowing on the side of the roads, floating in the air, and in/on every nook and cranny of my freshly polished bike :x When we cross the Trinity River and Lake Livingston, it looks like a yellow tide. The pollen is washing up on the shore line. Thank God I don't have allergies.
We get across the lake and through Onalaska then head North into the woods. There are a few Dogwood trees blooming, tons of redwood trees blooming and all kinds of trees with various white flowers. It is really neat to be zinging down a backroad between the trees in and out of one sweet aroma after another. Well, except when we passed the Prison Feeder Slab & Hog farm on FM 980 earlier
The group has set into a nice rythm. At each turn I wait for the taildragger to catch up with us, which is rarely more than ten or fifteen seconds. I make it a habit to keep track of the headlights behind me when riding briskly. Did I mention that Goldwings make excellent tail draggers? They have so many bright lights it is really easy to see them in the distance in the mirrors.
Our first stop is in Chester. We top off the bikes, make pitstops and grab a snack. I check with everyone to make sure they are comfortable with the pace I'm setting and they seem fine. I warn them about gravel on the upcoming sections of road. It seems that the local county likes to dump loose gravel on the shoulder at the edge of the pavement. Unfortunately, there are lots of trucks pulling bass boats in these parts and apparently, they can't keep the trailers on the pavement. They kick up the gravel and scatter it all over the lane. Everyone does fine since they are expecting it.
We eventually drop out onto US 190 just West of Martin Dies Jr., State Park. This is a big fishing destination. It is basically a swamp with lots of lilly pads, cypress trees, and floating logs covered with turtles basking in the sunlight. The sunlight reflects off the surface of the water and makes the trunks of the trees shimmer and sparkle.
A few miles past the East side of the park, we head South on FM 777. This just loops South and then turns back North and comes right back out on US 190 just outside of Jasper. I have driven by this road numerous times and often wondered what wonderful secrets it might be hoarding. Let me just say, "good ones!" Things are going great until we get behind a slow moving truck, not slow enough that we can blow around him though. With the road being so much fun, there simply aren't any passing places. Of course, the goof driving thinks he'll speed up to set the pace for us. All that does is make me nervous.
Once we hit Jasper, more than the aftermarket pipes are rumbling. It's time to find a place to eat. My favorite BBQ place had gone out of business a few years back, so we'll try one of the new ones in town. We pull in the parking lot only to find that this one has also gone out of business. Either people in this town don't know how to cook it right, or they just don't like it enough to keep their restaurants in business. We head back South to look for another one that I remember from way back, it is now a strip mall!! But we find a place across the street that seems to fit the bill
If you like deep South cooking, ie; deep fried cooking, you'll love this place. For seven bucks you get the all you can eat buffet. If it can give you a heart attack, they are serving it. Everyone chows down and gives it thumbs up approval. It's a keeper.
After lunch we continue our push Eastward on Hwy 63 towards Burkeville. A few miles out of town, we head South on FM 1012, a real jewel of a road. It has great curves and good pavement. But we still have to keep a wary eye out for gravel. We reach Newton and head back North on Hwy 87. A few miles North of town we head back into the woods on FM 1414, another special strip of pavement. There are several different series of esses that are just fabulous!! But there is one right hander... it lies in waiting, so innocent and inviting looking... and littered with pea sized gravel I am ready for it because it snared me once before. Even though I go through pretty slow, several of the others behind me run a little wide. Fortunately, the only oncoming car sees the first bike and slows enough that the next bike has room. The remaining riders appear to see the trap and avoid it.
We stop in Burkeville for a potty break and gas. It seems that hardly anyone can go more than thirty or forty minutes after lunch without having to take a break, so I just plan for it. While we are hanging out, a local young lady comes up and introduces herself and informs us that she rides a Ninja and is wondering if we are on a regular club ride. She is surprised to see sport bikes out in these parts as she usually only sees cruisers.
After a refreshing break, we head North to Hemphill. The run up Hwy 87 is a blast once we get around a few slow moving cages. Son Bill is chasing me on his R1 and we are in a groove. The curves on this road are just so nice, smooth and banked. There are tons of 35 and 45 mph curves, all disappearing around the bend into the woods or over the next rise.
At our spirited pace, it does not take long to reach Hemphill. I miss a Hwy marker sign and we have to double back a few blocks to get back on track. We hit a few of the short FM's running North/South between Hwy 184 and Hwy 103 on the West side of town. The traffic has been pretty light on all these back roads all day. It is now up into the high seventies and feels fantastic. Remarkably, the humidity is quite low.
When we reach Hwy 103, Sprint RS Paul heads West for home. It is pushing 4:00pm and he has to get all the way back to College Station, at least three hours away at a good pace. The rest of us head East to pick up Hwy 21. Hwy 21 is a great ride from here all the way to Nacogdoches. It is just a winding two lane highway that follows the contour of the countryside. It occurs to me as I am having so much fun that this whole area is the main part of the Shuttle Columbia debris field. I don't know if NASA and associated agencies are already done with the recovery, but I don't see any evidence of ongoing work anywhere. It is a sobering thought to think of how quickly everything right can so suddenly become so wrong :|
We've been riding fairly hard the last few hours and now I have a nice road for a break. FM 330 curls and twists its' way back into the deep woods, barely more than one lane wide. This road is not about fast, it is about taking it all in and being smooth. There are lots of sharp curves with good elevation changes. We are so far down in the woods, it almost feels like we have been transported to a whole new landscape. Very cool.
We head back towards San Augustine on FM 353. This road actually has two lanes and pretty good pavement. It is not a major road so there was very little cut and fill done to the surrounding countryside when the road was made. It goes up and over every hill, around every property line, and has more curves than snakes having sex. Many of the curves are the kind where you exit one corner and immediately flip the bike all the way over for the next corner. ROLL ON!! What fun! With its' superb engine braking and silky smoothness, the VFR V4 eats this stuff up like it's candy!
We make our last gas stop in San Augustine. The Houston crowd get out there maps and start figuring out how they are gonna get home. I think it is already after 5:00pm. Butts are wearing out and the Ibuprofen is wearing off. Dad Bill is wearing out heaving his Goldwing all over the place. He has been hanging right with us all day
We run one last fun backroad, FM 1277 before hitting the Hwy and making time back down to Colmesniel on US 69. FM 1277 was repaved last year and is unbelievably smooth. I could spend all day running back and forth on this road until the locals came out to shoot me off the bike
We shoot on down to Colmesniel and pick up FM 1745 and head back into the woods. Eventually FM 942 hits US 59 and we turn South for Livingston. Most everyone is heading all the way down 59, but we stop at the Mc'D on US 190 and US 59 for a last good bye and a few pics. Dad Bill and VFR Paul don't exit and just keep on cruising. I don't think they realize what we are up to. Like a dolt, I forgot to get pics of everyone and their bike. So I get some shots of FZ1 Jeff, R1 Bill and VFR Brady.
Jeff and the FZ1
Son Bill and the R1
Brady and the VFR800
It is a little after 6:00pm and the sun is starting to get low in the sky. It is a beautiful evening. We say our good byes and then I head West on US 190 for Huntsville. It has been a great day of riding. The run back across Lake Livingston is into the grip of a stunning sunset. The water is calm and acts like a massive mirror, reflecting the subtle hues of the fading sunlight on the high wispy clouds. As the sun fades from the sky, I reflect back on the thrills of the day. I can't wait to do it again.
I pull into the garage at 7:15pm, I lost exact track of the mileage. However, twice I filled up with about 160 miles showing on the odometer, I started with about 60 already on the first tank, so that would make 260 miles. Then when I got home I was showing about 135 or so. So it was just a tick under 400 miles for me. Those Houston guys probably hit close to 475
My butt hurts See how red it is
Adios,
When I poke my head out the front door, Bill and Bill are parked out front. This would be Bill the dad and Bill the son, Goldwing GL1800 and an R1. While we are chatting, Paul shows up on his repainted VFR 750, a nice metallic grey. Then Paul #2 shows up on his Triumph RS, then Brady on his VFR 800 and lastly Jeff on his FZ1. We do a group shot of the bikes and head out, 10:30am.
The weather is absolutely perfect. The roads heading out of town are nice and relaxed, great for getting everyone warmed up and letting us get a feel for how this group rides. Everyone spreads out and does the staggered formation nicely. Temps are in the low to mid seventies and the sun is shining. If there is a cross wind, I don't feel it.
About twenty-five miles out of town, we hit the first really fun road. Waterwood Parkway runs between FM 980 and US 190 for seven miles. It is just one big high speed sweeper after another. The only thing to worry about on this road is deer, so I keep the eyes scanning the shoulders. At this point I try to get a feel for the speed that the group likes to ride in the curvy stuff. Everyone seems comfortable with 75-85 indicated. Fast enough to enjoy the road, slow enough to have time to react to any surprises.
The last two days have seen the Pine pollen begin to take over the countryside. There is so much in the air that everything is covered in the yellow dust. I can see it blowing on the side of the roads, floating in the air, and in/on every nook and cranny of my freshly polished bike :x When we cross the Trinity River and Lake Livingston, it looks like a yellow tide. The pollen is washing up on the shore line. Thank God I don't have allergies.
We get across the lake and through Onalaska then head North into the woods. There are a few Dogwood trees blooming, tons of redwood trees blooming and all kinds of trees with various white flowers. It is really neat to be zinging down a backroad between the trees in and out of one sweet aroma after another. Well, except when we passed the Prison Feeder Slab & Hog farm on FM 980 earlier
The group has set into a nice rythm. At each turn I wait for the taildragger to catch up with us, which is rarely more than ten or fifteen seconds. I make it a habit to keep track of the headlights behind me when riding briskly. Did I mention that Goldwings make excellent tail draggers? They have so many bright lights it is really easy to see them in the distance in the mirrors.
Our first stop is in Chester. We top off the bikes, make pitstops and grab a snack. I check with everyone to make sure they are comfortable with the pace I'm setting and they seem fine. I warn them about gravel on the upcoming sections of road. It seems that the local county likes to dump loose gravel on the shoulder at the edge of the pavement. Unfortunately, there are lots of trucks pulling bass boats in these parts and apparently, they can't keep the trailers on the pavement. They kick up the gravel and scatter it all over the lane. Everyone does fine since they are expecting it.
We eventually drop out onto US 190 just West of Martin Dies Jr., State Park. This is a big fishing destination. It is basically a swamp with lots of lilly pads, cypress trees, and floating logs covered with turtles basking in the sunlight. The sunlight reflects off the surface of the water and makes the trunks of the trees shimmer and sparkle.
A few miles past the East side of the park, we head South on FM 777. This just loops South and then turns back North and comes right back out on US 190 just outside of Jasper. I have driven by this road numerous times and often wondered what wonderful secrets it might be hoarding. Let me just say, "good ones!" Things are going great until we get behind a slow moving truck, not slow enough that we can blow around him though. With the road being so much fun, there simply aren't any passing places. Of course, the goof driving thinks he'll speed up to set the pace for us. All that does is make me nervous.
Once we hit Jasper, more than the aftermarket pipes are rumbling. It's time to find a place to eat. My favorite BBQ place had gone out of business a few years back, so we'll try one of the new ones in town. We pull in the parking lot only to find that this one has also gone out of business. Either people in this town don't know how to cook it right, or they just don't like it enough to keep their restaurants in business. We head back South to look for another one that I remember from way back, it is now a strip mall!! But we find a place across the street that seems to fit the bill
If you like deep South cooking, ie; deep fried cooking, you'll love this place. For seven bucks you get the all you can eat buffet. If it can give you a heart attack, they are serving it. Everyone chows down and gives it thumbs up approval. It's a keeper.
After lunch we continue our push Eastward on Hwy 63 towards Burkeville. A few miles out of town, we head South on FM 1012, a real jewel of a road. It has great curves and good pavement. But we still have to keep a wary eye out for gravel. We reach Newton and head back North on Hwy 87. A few miles North of town we head back into the woods on FM 1414, another special strip of pavement. There are several different series of esses that are just fabulous!! But there is one right hander... it lies in waiting, so innocent and inviting looking... and littered with pea sized gravel I am ready for it because it snared me once before. Even though I go through pretty slow, several of the others behind me run a little wide. Fortunately, the only oncoming car sees the first bike and slows enough that the next bike has room. The remaining riders appear to see the trap and avoid it.
We stop in Burkeville for a potty break and gas. It seems that hardly anyone can go more than thirty or forty minutes after lunch without having to take a break, so I just plan for it. While we are hanging out, a local young lady comes up and introduces herself and informs us that she rides a Ninja and is wondering if we are on a regular club ride. She is surprised to see sport bikes out in these parts as she usually only sees cruisers.
After a refreshing break, we head North to Hemphill. The run up Hwy 87 is a blast once we get around a few slow moving cages. Son Bill is chasing me on his R1 and we are in a groove. The curves on this road are just so nice, smooth and banked. There are tons of 35 and 45 mph curves, all disappearing around the bend into the woods or over the next rise.
At our spirited pace, it does not take long to reach Hemphill. I miss a Hwy marker sign and we have to double back a few blocks to get back on track. We hit a few of the short FM's running North/South between Hwy 184 and Hwy 103 on the West side of town. The traffic has been pretty light on all these back roads all day. It is now up into the high seventies and feels fantastic. Remarkably, the humidity is quite low.
When we reach Hwy 103, Sprint RS Paul heads West for home. It is pushing 4:00pm and he has to get all the way back to College Station, at least three hours away at a good pace. The rest of us head East to pick up Hwy 21. Hwy 21 is a great ride from here all the way to Nacogdoches. It is just a winding two lane highway that follows the contour of the countryside. It occurs to me as I am having so much fun that this whole area is the main part of the Shuttle Columbia debris field. I don't know if NASA and associated agencies are already done with the recovery, but I don't see any evidence of ongoing work anywhere. It is a sobering thought to think of how quickly everything right can so suddenly become so wrong :|
We've been riding fairly hard the last few hours and now I have a nice road for a break. FM 330 curls and twists its' way back into the deep woods, barely more than one lane wide. This road is not about fast, it is about taking it all in and being smooth. There are lots of sharp curves with good elevation changes. We are so far down in the woods, it almost feels like we have been transported to a whole new landscape. Very cool.
We head back towards San Augustine on FM 353. This road actually has two lanes and pretty good pavement. It is not a major road so there was very little cut and fill done to the surrounding countryside when the road was made. It goes up and over every hill, around every property line, and has more curves than snakes having sex. Many of the curves are the kind where you exit one corner and immediately flip the bike all the way over for the next corner. ROLL ON!! What fun! With its' superb engine braking and silky smoothness, the VFR V4 eats this stuff up like it's candy!
We make our last gas stop in San Augustine. The Houston crowd get out there maps and start figuring out how they are gonna get home. I think it is already after 5:00pm. Butts are wearing out and the Ibuprofen is wearing off. Dad Bill is wearing out heaving his Goldwing all over the place. He has been hanging right with us all day
We run one last fun backroad, FM 1277 before hitting the Hwy and making time back down to Colmesniel on US 69. FM 1277 was repaved last year and is unbelievably smooth. I could spend all day running back and forth on this road until the locals came out to shoot me off the bike
We shoot on down to Colmesniel and pick up FM 1745 and head back into the woods. Eventually FM 942 hits US 59 and we turn South for Livingston. Most everyone is heading all the way down 59, but we stop at the Mc'D on US 190 and US 59 for a last good bye and a few pics. Dad Bill and VFR Paul don't exit and just keep on cruising. I don't think they realize what we are up to. Like a dolt, I forgot to get pics of everyone and their bike. So I get some shots of FZ1 Jeff, R1 Bill and VFR Brady.
Jeff and the FZ1
Son Bill and the R1
Brady and the VFR800
It is a little after 6:00pm and the sun is starting to get low in the sky. It is a beautiful evening. We say our good byes and then I head West on US 190 for Huntsville. It has been a great day of riding. The run back across Lake Livingston is into the grip of a stunning sunset. The water is calm and acts like a massive mirror, reflecting the subtle hues of the fading sunlight on the high wispy clouds. As the sun fades from the sky, I reflect back on the thrills of the day. I can't wait to do it again.
I pull into the garage at 7:15pm, I lost exact track of the mileage. However, twice I filled up with about 160 miles showing on the odometer, I started with about 60 already on the first tank, so that would make 260 miles. Then when I got home I was showing about 135 or so. So it was just a tick under 400 miles for me. Those Houston guys probably hit close to 475
My butt hurts See how red it is
Adios,